1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shock absorbers inserted between a ski boot binding and either a downhill or cross-country ski.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
Shock absorbers are adapted to improve the comfort of the skier and also to improve the control and performance of the skis. Without shock absorbers, all irregularities in the slopes, which are even harder the more they are packed down, subject the ski to shocks and vibrations which are transmitted directly to the skier, thus jolting the bones, joints, muscles and tendons. This causes discomfort and fatigue which can lead to accidents. In addition, a connection between the skier and the ski which is too stiff is detrimental to good control of the skis, particularly by too great a grip of the edges in the snow, which can cause inadvertent braking.
A number of attempts have been made to resolve these problems. Elastic material, such as viscoelastic material, has become known to be positioned between the binding and the ski.
French Patent No. 2,374,922 provides shock absorption blocks which are penetrated by screws for securing a binding support plate to the ski. These blocks absorb certain troublesome forces, but the screws being anchored in the ski itself causes these forces, shocks or vibrations to pass through the screws, whose anchoring area therefore has a tendency to enlarge and thus damage the ski.
In PCT document WO 83/03 360, a shock absorber constituted by an elastomeric layer and at least one metallic layer is disclosed as being positioned between the upper surface of the ski and the binding. But again, the securing of the shock absorber to the ski by screws anchored in the ski creates the same disadvantages as those mentioned above.
The same disadvantages are also found in the device proposed in French Patent No. 2,409,776, which includes screws extending into the ski.
To diminish the effect of unscrewing and damaging of the ski by the screws, it has been customary to put glue in the screw holes to re-establish the watertightness of the drilled core of the ski and to prevent unscrewing, but this only delays the undesirable effects which are never eliminated, being only temporarily hidden.